Posts tagged app
I’ve used and abused, ignored and overlooked dozens of note-taking and sticky note-saving apps over the years. I was a loyal user of StickyBrain (which later became SohoNotes which retails for $39.99 and is compatible with an iPhone and iPad app, $4.99 and $9.99 respectively ) and have even tried a few of the online organizational tools like Evernote and Remember The Milk but in the end, simpler always seems better. There are some notes I want with me, and for those I resort to paper and pen but for things like serial numbers, web links, bits of code for a blog or other random bit of digital detritus, I keep going back to Notational Velocity (free).
Foremost, Notational Velocity is the epitome of simple. You type a title or keyword in the search bar. If you’ve already created a note with the text, it will show in the box below. If not, it will just create a new note with that text as the title. Then in the bottom field, you add the content. Easy-peasy. As the epitome of simple, Notational Velocity does not store photos, include tags or folders. Its just a searchable list of bits of text, thoughts, notes, code, etc.
Notational Velocity syncs with Simple Note, an iPhone and iPad app which is also free so you combine both online and offline note-saving as well as have a smooth, free back-up system for your notes.
Do you have any apps that help keep your desktop clear of clutter and your notes and thoughts organized? Leave a note in the comments!
The Wall Street Journal collects a list of apps that turn your tablet into a sketchpad as well as offering some options for styli to use with your tablet.
(via WSJ.com)
I read about Ghostwriter Notes on Patrick Ng’s Scription blog. It’s an iPad app that allows users to create handwritten notes on an iPad screen using a finger or stylus. “Pages” may be exported to photo album, Dropbox or Evernote. It allows for PDFs to be imported and annotated. It appears to get decent reviews and sells for $3.99. Any iPad users out there using this app? Opinions??
At the start of every year, I try to determine if I am working most efficiently and what, if any tools, exist to make my job easier. Cloud is such an app. When installed on your Mac, it automatically uploads screenshots to your web storage. This is great if you are working on client work or collaborating and want a way to share images with people quickly, without cluttering up your email. But there’s more to Cloud than that. Its got the kind of functionality that makes it fast and easy to upload music tracks, videos and links (with shortened URLs) quickly with the Raindrop plug-ins in the preferences. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
(via CloudApp)
Four months ago, I mentioned a new app discovery called Alfred. I thought I would follow-up to let you know, I cannot live without it now. The simple act of clicking Option+Spacebar and keying in the first few letters of anything has shaved so many seconds of clicking around on my computer that I think I’ve added at least a day of productivity to my life. Really.
Add to the free app with the PowerPack (£15 or $24) and you can do even more than just locate files, calculate, spell and shutdown (favorite feature!). With the PowerPack, once you’ve located an image or file, you can immediately email it or open it with a specific application. There is an iTunes mini player controller, ability to find a contact in your Address Book quickly and access clipboard hisories. There are opportunities for even more functionality with scripts and more but that’s outside my realm of expertise.
So, try out the app and see if you find it useful. If you do find it useful, try out the PowerPack and really blow your mind! My fingers hardly ever leave the keyboard now.
Grid Lens is yet another iPhone camera app. It lets you create a gird of images while snapping with you iPhone. Its a nice alternative to the lo-fi photo apps cluttering the iTunes store. Lovely interface and on sale for $0.99.
(via iTunes App Store)
Spend your holidays “scanning” family photos with the iPhone app ShoeBox by 1000memories. This free app lets you crop, straighten and rotate your photo, then add comments and share with friends on Facebook and Twitter. It will make it a lot easier to save those cherished family photos at Grandma’s than dragging your scanner home for the holidays.
(via 1000memories)
For years, I’ve been using a launch app called Drag Thing on my Mac. I’ve used it for so long to keep my application icons organized and easy to access that I never really bothered to look for something better. Until today…
Today, I discovered Alfred. Using a simple key command, you call up a search box on your desktop. It can find a web site, folder, application or just about any other thing you can think of. Then type in what you want. For example, I want to find out more about the movie The Help. I click the option+spacebar and Alfred pops up. Then I type “IMDB ‘the help’” and voila! Alfred has taken me to The Help page on IMDB and my fingers never left my keyboard. Then I need to open a client file. I type click on option + spacebar again and Alfred reappears. I type “open SKG tee” and the file pops up with the Illustrator icon next to it. Foosh! My file opens, I can make changes and keep going. Now I need to email the file. I can option + spacebar again and type “Mail” to get to my email client. If I were to add the Powerpack (£12) to Alfred, I could just use the find field in Alfred and locate the file again and select the “email ….” and whoosh! another task completed without clicking through folders.
Another fun feature is the ability to play a song from your iTunes by simply option + spacebar and typing “play (fill in song title)”.
I’m surprised how quickly I was taken with this application. I want everything on my computer to work as seamlessly as Alfred and I’ll definitely upgrade to the Powerpack, even though I know very little about Shell scripts and Applescripts, I’m looking forward to the other features it offers. The Powerpack adds options for “open with…”, “email file”, iTunes mini player, address book access and many other features.
(via Alfred App)
We don’t often feature software here on Well-Appointed Desk but I thought this little app seemed worthy of some recognition. It’s called Little Snapper and it allows your to not only create and archive screen capture images but add notations as well. So, six months from now, you can remember exactly why you snapped an image off the web. $29
(via RealMac Software)
